Why does Glastonbury continue to appeal?
Things often goes wrong at Glastonbury and 2016 was no exception 1. Over the festival, attendees left half a million bags of rubbish on the site. Adele, who famously swore at the 2016 BRIT awards 2, caused controversy once again when she burped in a fan’s face on stage. She blamed it on a dodgy burger and the fan just laughed it off as Adele being Adele.
It rained at Worthy Farm again this year, meaning that Glastonbury retained its reputation as the muddiest music festival ever. Phillip Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, who closed the Holts Stage on the Saturday, even christened it “mudville.” The Independent notes 3 that getting to Worthy Farm when the gates opened at 8am on the Wednesday was an absolute nightmare, with heavy traffic forcing attendees to wait for hours. Who would pay to spend a weekend in such a hellish environment?
Iconic music event
Glastonbury may have challenges, but sub-par music is not one of them. The festival hosts many genres of music, such as rock, punk, pop, R&B, hip hop, electronica, dance and so much more. Over the years, Glastonbury has
attracted some of the most iconic names in music, according to The Telegraph 4, including David Bowie, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, The Cure, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, REM, Paul McCartney, Coldplay and many others.
It is traditionally seen as a rock festival, but in recent times Glastonbury has embraced more contemporary music acts. Rapper Jay Z made history in 2008 when he became the first artist of his kind to headline the celebrated Pyramid Stage. One attendee noted to the Guardian 5 that “there are different types of music [at Glastonbury],” accurately summing up why the festival is so appealing despite its issues. Glastonbury provides festival goers with an unrivalled, diverse musical experience, not only attracting huge names, but constantly giving attendees the chance to discover new music.
Moving with the times
Glastonbury is actually pretty good at moving with the times. The festival is massive, so it puts a huge strain on the area’s natural resources. Every five years or so, the festival’s organisers Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily Eavis do not hold Glastonbury, giving Worthy Farm a chance to recover. This is particularly appealing in this increasingly environmentally-conscious world, as festival goers can enjoy Glastonbury without worrying that they are destroying the surrounding area.
The Eavis’ have also taken note of the digital technology revolution. Increasingly, Glastonbury is providing digitally-savvy consumers with the technology they need to have a good time, yet stay connected to the outside world. For instance EE now offers free phone charging 6 and 4G services on the Glastonbury site, allowing attendees to both appreciate the great music and share their experiences with friends and family back home via social media apps such as Facebook and Twitter.
Reputation management masterclass
Glastonbury has developed a great reputation by providing a first rate service, attracting the biggest names in music every single year. The festival has also shown that it is not afraid to move with the times, embracing the environmentally-friendly and digitally technology trends and continuing to appeal to all ages. Glastonbury may have its issues but people are willing to overlook these in order to experience one of the best music festivals on earth!
Footnotes
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36636964 ↩
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/25/adele-swearing-brit-awards-2016-crying-global-success-speech_n_9313540.html ↩
3. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/glastonbury-traffic-2016-festival-goers-told-not-to-set-off-for-worthy-farm-due-to-huge-delays-a7094766.html ↩
4. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/the-50-best-glastonbury-performances/ ↩
5. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jun/29/glastonbury.festivals1↩
6. http://www.festivalinsights.com/2015/07/ee-successfully-partners-glastonbury/ ↩
